Mold box for butter and the like



` Sept. 27 1927. 1,643,508

i F. MiLLER 1 MOLD BOX FOR BTTER AND THE LIKE 4 Filed Aug. 2o. 1924 CFMLLER Patented Sept. 27, 1927.

PATENT oFFIcE.

UNITED STATES CHARLES F. MILLER, OF CEDARv RAPIDS, IOWA.

MOLD Box ron lBtur'rnn'AND THE LIKE.

Application led August 2,0, 1924. Serial No. 733,089.

My invention relates vto mold-boxes for use with butter and like materials, to form the same 'into blocks or slabsfor storage and refrigeration, and preparatory to cutting the blocks into prints of standard sizes. It is the object of my invention to provide a mold-box for the purposes stated, of simple, strong and durable construction, Vand in which a uniform depth of the mold is maintained regardless of expansion and' contraction of the sides of the box, due to `absorption of moisture and drying of the moisture therefrom. The mold-box provided by my invention is particularly adapted for use in forming blocks or'slabs of hard butter `or the like, which are to be cut' into print-sizes by the methods and means described in my Patent No. 1,414,994, issued Ma 2, 1922; and my mold-boxes may also be advantageously employed for' producing blocks ofy butter, oleomargarine, or other materials, where it is desirable that the blocks be of uniform size, and when the characteristics of the molded material are such that the mold-surfaces must be of wood.

' my invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section thereof, Fig. 4 is a line 4--4 of Fig. being shown partly dried or shrunken, and Fig. 5 is a partial transverse section, similar to Fig. 4, but showing the sides expanded.

In the construction of mold-boxes for butter, it is preferable that the mold-surfaces be of wood, the primary reason for such preference being that the butter will not cling or adhere to a wood surface when the latter' is moist; it being understood, of course, that the natural wood surface should be employed, Without coating of paint, varnish or other protective material which would prevent the absorption of water by the wood. Wood is also preferable by reason of its lighter weight, cheapness` facility of working, and the fact thatl it will not ne come corroded by chemical reaction with the salt, wateror other butter-constituents, and will not contaminate the butter by im-v parting thereto any unnatural taste or flavor.

In mold-boxes for forming butter into blocks or slabs which are subsequently to be cut to print-sizes. it is also desirable that the blocks or slabs be of uniform size, very transverse section .on theA 3, the sides o-f the mold lends thereof.

slightly larger than a multiple of the printsizes, so that by a slight trimming of one or more sides ofthe block or slab the dimensions thereof may be reduced to an exact multiple of the print-sizes. L`With an ordinary mold-box made of wood, the amount of expansion due to absorption ofV moisture by the wood is such that the blocks of' butter molded therein will be greatlyV oversized, and thus require excessive trimming, if the mold is proportioned to form a block of the correct size when the woodA iS in a normal, dry or shrunken condition. It is well-known that the swelling or expansion of wood by absorption of water is all most wholly later'al to the grain of the wood, the variation in longitudinal dimensionsbeing so small as to be inappreciable, and theseV characteristics of wood are utilized in my improved mold-box, torproduce a mold of which the'capacity will be substantially unaltered by wetting or drying thereof.

Referring now to the structure shownin the drawings, the mold-box is rectangular in form' and has fixedly connected side-porV tions comprising a pair of longitudinal members 10 and a pair of transverse'members 11, the ends of said transverse members fitting into vertical grooves vat the inner or adiacent sides of the members 10 near the Adjoining the Y upper edges ofthe transverse members, at the outer sides thereof, the cross-pieces or cleats 12 are secured vthereto by screws 13, said cross-pieces constituting means which may vbe conveniently grasped for lifting the box. Screws 14 are lextended through the sides ofthe longitudinal members 10 into the ends of the transverse members 11. The members 10 are also connected to each other by clampbolts 15 and 16, which extend across the ends of the box adjoining the out-er sides of the transverse members 11, the upper clamp-bolts 15 passing through grooves 17 at the inner sides of the cross-pieces 12', as best shown in Fig. 3; The side-portions or members 10 and 11 are also secured to eachl other by the metal angle-plates 18. one of which is provided at each corner, each angleplatey having arms which extend from lthe corner along the lower edges of the respective members and areL secured thereto "by screws (not shown). The angle-plates, be-

sides serving to securely connect the sideprevent wear and splintering of the lower edges of the wood members. In the lower edges of the longitudinal members 10, at transversely alined positions equidistant from the ends, ar-e formed the rectangular notches 19, the longitudinal arms of the angle-plates 18 extending across thel open lower ends of said notches, as shown. From the upper edges of said notches 19, openings extend up vertically through the members 10 to the upper edges thereof, and through said openings are extended the bolts 2O which support the metal channel-bars 21. Said channel-bars extend transversely between the notches 19 at opposite sides of the box, the ends of the bars fitting loosely within the notches and being secured to the bolts 2O by vnuts 22 screwed upon the threaded lower ends thereof. The heads of the bolts are preferably thin and sphero-segmental in form, so as to project but slightly above the upper edges of the members 10, and adjoining the heads are squared portions which are driven into the upper ends of the openings' and prevent rotation of the bodies, while the main cylindrical body-portions of the bolts it somewhat loosely in the openings. rlhe flanges of the channel-bars 21 extend downwardly7 so that their llat upper sides form wide supporting surfaces for the bottom-member 24 of the mold. Said bottom-member is proportioned to tit loosely within the fixed rectangular frame formed by the members 10 and l1, and is provided on its lower side with one or more transverse cleats 25 which are suitably secured thereto, as by screws 23, to prevent warping of said bottom-member.

t will be understood that vin the. members 10 and 1l, which constitute the fixed frame or side-portions of the mold, the grain of the wood extends longitudinally of the pieces, so that any expansion or contraction of said members, due to absorption of moisture or drying thereof, will not appreciably alter the length or width of the mold. The lateral expansion or shrinkage of said members 10 and 11 will considerably alter the over-all depth of the box, but willnot affect the inside depth of the mold, because of the fact that the loose bottom-member is supported upon the cross-bars 21 which are suspended by the bolts 20 from the. upper edges of the box, and the length of said bolts is not varied except by 'microscopic elongation or contraction due to thermal changes. Expansion or shrinkage of the wood sides of the mold will, therefore, merely vary the position of the cross-bars 21 with relation to the lower edges of the sidemembers, and the bottom-member 24 will be maintained in a substantially fixed relation to the upper edges of the mold, as will be clearly apparent by a comparison of Figs. 4 and 5', the latter showing the sides expanded, and the former showing the same partly dried or shrunken in lateral dimensions.

My improved mold-box is employed in the usual manner, being lilled with the butter while the same is comparatively soft and plastic, then being placed under refrigera-Y tion until the butter is hard, or frozen if storage is to be continued for a considerable time. When the molded blocks or slabs are to be cut to print sizes, the mold-boxes are inverted upon a table, the blocks ejected therefrom by pushing upon the loose bottoinanembers while the side-portions vare lifted away, andthe bottom-members then stripped from the upper sides of the blocks or slabs, thus leaving the latter resting free upon the table, ready for passage through the cutting mechanism.

The nuts 22 at the lowers-nds of the bolts 2O may be employed to secure an exact adjustment of depth of the mold, and after such adjustment is made it need not be changed unless it is desired to change thedepth of the molded blocks.

rlhe metal part-s of the mold-box should,

of course, besuch as notto suffer corrosion,V

and this result is preferably attained by employing therein Monel metal or other non-k corrosible metal, such as the socalled stainless steel7 alloys which are now becoming commercially available. The use of such materials is preferable to coating or plating of the surfaces of corrosible metal parts, since the protective coatings may be broken through or worn away after a short period of use, thus exposingthe original material and allowing corrosion thereof to occur.

Now, having described my invention, what l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: Y A mold-box for butter and the like, com prising a rectangular box-frame of wood wherein the grain extends longitudinally of the frame-members, the lower edgesof said.

framehaving` transversely alined notches therein, metal shoes aflixed to said lower edges and extending across said notches, crossbars having the ends thereof extending loosely into said notches/and movable vcrtically relative thereto, suspension-members secured to said cross-bars and extending to the upper edge ofthe frame to support the cross-bars therefrom, and a bottom-member supported upon said cross-bars.

CHARLES F. MILLER. 

